


For Want of a Nail

by Chexie



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen, It's Just a retelling of P5, Like Joker not being here, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags May Change, With a few notable differences, that's a big one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:29:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23479993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chexie/pseuds/Chexie
Summary: For Want of a Nail, the world could change...Consider this a retelling of Persona 5 we all know and love. While there are some major changes, like Joker being replaced by someone else to offer some extra spice in the mix or Makoto's introduction being delayed by...A lot.In addition; I aim to provide some smaller adjustments to the overall plot and the occasional character tweak.Also, please don't find the 'Original Character' tag a turn off, I promise this isn't a self insert thing, it's just the best way to mention Ace in the tags.For behind the scenes info and for any questions you may have, feel free to check in at @persona-5-for-want-of-a-nail on Tumblr!
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue

_She moved with vervor as her boots let out muted clacks against the metal of the casino’s obnoxious lights. The way the crowd below looked around, confused, possibly even scared, it gave her an extra stride of confidence in what she was doing, even if, deep down, a small but loud anxiety boiled in the deepest parts of her stomach._

_Still, she perched on one of the highest lights in the casino, out in the open. She smirked, the briefcase under her arms noticeable. It was a taunt, and the security in the area knew it._

_“She’s here, move immediately!” One had muttered into his transceiver, two of his cohorts dashing off to chase her down. Without a thought, she had turned on her heel and dashed off beyond the main area off into the rafters._

_“Good, now get going!”_

_“This is our only chance!”_

_“Stay calm! You can get away now!”_

_“We’ll collect the briefcase on our end.”_

_In the midst of her collaborators’ words, she could hear some interference. It was definitely from the casino’s security. It almost made her head hurt._

_“Hm…? What was that?”_

_“Don’t worry about us. Just concentrate on getting away!”_

_She nodded and continued making leaps and bounds across the casino._

_“But I have to say, showing yourself above the crowd earlier was an excellent move!” A grin eked on her face; she couldn’t help it, she adored praise. “Good work as always, Ace.”_

_“I bet Skull wouldn’t pull it off that smoothly!” A giggle accompanied those words._

_“This happens because you have no sense for aesthetics.” Another one had chimed in, agreeing with the former._

_“Nobody asked you, Inari!” A third had snapped back._

_A giggle passed her lips as she lept from each precariously hanging light. She had to admit, the way they swung when she landed made her heart stop._

_“There she is!” She looked up, only to see a group of security guards on the other side of the large room._

_“Just run! Get out of there!” Once more, she nodded, and jumped to one of the nearby arches, getting an almost childlike enjoyment as they lit up below her feet._

_“Okay, the enemy’s focus is on her. Looks like the rest of us can slip away.”_

_“Everyone remember where we’re meeting up?”_

_“No worries, I can guide you all.”_

_She leapt up onto the second floor’s entryway, only to be cut off by a handful of guards._

_“Take ‘em down, Ace!”_

_A smirk came over her face as almost entirely by reflex she leapt into the air and clung to one of the guard’s shoulders, getting a firm grip on the mask over their face, she tore it off, the guard in question quickly erupting into a black and red mess, taking form of a monster._

_“Comparing power levels… They’re no threat at all! Go get ‘em, Ace!”_

_Yeah, that sounded right. She set a hand upon her mask, tearing it off with no issue._

_“Come, Bonnie!” In mere moments a tall looming figure was at her side, azure blue flames licking at its skirt. “Shoot ‘em up!” The translucent figure behind her slowly angled its left arm, the chamber of the gun at the end spinning and spinning as it quickly riddled the creature with bullets, it writhing and perishing instantly. Just as sudden as it appeared, the figure behind her had vanished, the mask on her face returning._

_She had a moment of panic as more ‘guards’ materialized out of nowhere, but she quickly regained her wit, leaping onto a nearby pillar, and again onto an overhang yet another floor above._

_“Ace, behind you! Go through that door!” Turning on her heel, she nodded at the words of her Navigator, dashing off to the mentioned doorway, into a fairly dark hallway. “You should be able to get out that way! Hurry!” Her footsteps were rather muted in that corridor compared to the larger casino hall, but she wasn’t about to complain._

_“Dude, can she even hear us!?”_

_“Don’t worry, I’m picking up everyone’s signals. Keep going, Ace!”_

_She was careful as she traveled, hiding out in doorways, watching from the shadows as another guard passed right by her._

_“Where’d they go? Damn it!” They had cried out in frustration as they passed by. “I can’t confirm the intruder’s location.” They mumbled that into their transceiver and then dashed off into a different hallway. She came out of hiding promptly, running further down the hall. She never did like travelling alone._

_“Up ahead! Stop!”_

_She almost stumbled over as she did._

_“This is bad! Hide!”_

_As if it were but second nature, she tucked and rolled behind one of the metal crates in the hall, carefully watching the end of it._

_“You’ll never get away if you just keep fighting. You know what to do here.”_

_Again, she nodded, quickly hopping from crate to crate as she neared the end of the hallway._

_“...Hey, are you sure she came in this way?” Yet another guard had been asking his transceiver. A beat of silence passed, she could only pick up vague static. “Understood. I will continue my search!” He had said, tucking the device into a shirt pocket. She almost froze as he ran right past her._

_“Now’s your chance! Go for the stairs!”_

_She emerged from the shadows, running up the steps as quickly as she could. A security room found itself nestled upstairs. Unable to help herself, she slowly peered in._

_“She’s not alone! Find and kill them all!”_

_That… That was bad._

_She continued her sprint, though she found an anxiety, a different one from earlier, bubbling deep in her throat as more guards were on her tail. She burst through the first door she could find, just needing an out, any out. Though finding it only led to another large hall in the casino, which she was on a balcony for, was a bit concerning._

_“Something wrong? The exit should be up ahead.” Up ahead? She looked over, only seeing a large stained glass window._

_“Through there?” She had asked, voice quiet._

_“Yeah… That’s just how it is. After that commotion, the bottom floor’s completely closed off. You think you can make it!?”_

_She was a bit taken aback, sure, it was new, but nothing she couldn’t handle._

_“Over there!” At the prompting of the shout, she looked over her shoulder to see the three guards that were tailing her. “There’s nowhere to run!” They had guns pointed at her, she could see that much, but that didn’t bother her. She had her confidence about the situation back._

_She hoisted herself onto the balcony’s railing, running across it. Once again, she was a spectacle to those below her, but being a show off was the least of her concerns at the moment. Still, the guards pursued, though she simply gave them one of her sweetest smiles as she crouched in front of the window._

_“Bye now.” She called, just before jumping through the large window. She could hear the screams of surprise of those on the lower floor. Shards of coloured glass glimmered around her as she flew through the air. It was artful, and she had to admit, probably her personal favourite of her escapes._

_“Heh, what a showoff.”_

_“You’re so reckless. You know that?”_

_Another smile creeped on her face. Yes, she did._

_She rolled to break her fall, ready to go find where her team had made their escape to, but she stopped. Light after light had turned on in front of her, nearly to a blinding degree._

_“Enemies, here!?”_

_“What’s wrong!?”_

_“These readings… It can’t be!”_

_...What? Can’t be what!?_

_“What happened!?”_

_“An ambush!?”_

_“Ace, can you handle this?”_

_“Ace!”_

_“Oh, no…”_

_Slowly, she looked around, her mind having trouble keeping up with the sudden developments._

_“Capture her!”_

_That, however. That kicked her brain back into high gear._

_She began to run off; where exactly she was trying to get to, she wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter, as long as it wasn’t here. The yells of all of them began to bleed together, it hurt her head. Quickly, she jumped up the fire escape’s ladder nearby, climbing up like a panicking spider. As she neared the top, her nerves began to calm._

_Until she found a gun pointed in her face._

_There was an entire group of them at the top of the escape, the one pointing the gun at her pulling their weapon back, only to harshly hit her in the face with the butt of the gun._

_Just like that, everything crumbled for her. She fell off the ladder, only at the mercy of the crowd below. There was a comotion with everyone in the crowd, though she soon found herself pinned to the ground._

_“Suspect secured!”_

_“Hmm… Didn’t expect to find some kid.” One of them knelt down to her. “You have your teammate to thank for this.” He had grabbed her head, rather roughly at that. “You were sold out.”_

_“Wha..?”_

_He had left without another word, leaving the others to their own devices._

_“Suspect confirmed! Cuff her!”_

_The cool metal of the handcuff was one of the last things she remembered before she was forced to come to in the small, dark interrogation room._

_“Guess the drug was too strong…” One of the men had muttered to himself. “Wake her up.” The other one in the room nodded, quickly splashing the young girl with a bucket of water. Slowly, she stirred, looking around and trying to register everything around her. Her clothes had changed. No more mask, no heeled boots, no overcoat. Just her school uniform. She eventually met the gaze of the first man. “No dozing off.” He had told her, rather sternly._

_She struggled with the restraints around her wrists._

_Why did her hand hurt so much…?_

_“You still don’t get it, do you?” Her gaze slowly drifted back to the man. “Give it up!” He had yelled, delivering a harsh slap to her face. That alone was enough force to have her toppled out of her seat. “Come on, cooperate.” He placed his foot on just the side of her head. “Or what? Do you want another shot?” She winced as he began to dig his heel on her cheekbone._

_She slowly looked around the room, noticing the small, bright red light in the upper corner._

_“C… Ca…”_

_The man followed her gaze, realizing what she was talking about._

_“Huh? What about the camera?” Much to her relief, he took his foot off her. “Are you thinking it could be used as video evidence?” He lifted her head up by the hair to look her in the eye as he spoke._

_“N… no.” She mumbled out, voice still feeling very hoarse._

_“So you’re not that dumb. Which is good.” He threw her head back onto the floor, prompting a quiet cry of pain from her. “‘Cause we’re gonna take as much time as we need!” Punctuating his words, he once again harshly brought his foot down on her. She winced. The way his foot so comfortably nestled between her hips and ribcage, the way he ground it further. It hurt so much._

_She wanted to call for her best friend, the one she knew would protect her from something like this._

_But couldn’t._

_Slowly, he removed his foot from her and stepped away, snatching up a clipboard from his associate. His eyes flicked back and forth across the pages on the board._

_“Obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of weapons…” He looked over his shoulder, back to her rather still body. “Manslaughter too, yeah? Talk about the works.” A look of distaste overcame his features. “And to think all of it would be led by a brat like this.” Slowly he approached once more. “And you seemed to be enjoying every moment of it, huh?”_

_She remained where she was, stirring in her thoughts. Was she enjoying it…? She could hardly remember._

_“...You should know your place.” He motioned his associate over, to which the latter nodded, walking over to her and unlocking her handcuffs. After ward, he forced her back up in a sitting position._

_For once, the rough handling didn’t bother her, she was more focused on the scrapes the cuffs left on her wrists. It stung, but she felt less claustrophobic about the situation._

_“Sign here.”_

_She looked over as the man presented her with his clipboard. Timidly, she looked back at him, subconsciously hiding some of the scrapes with her hand._

_“It’s a confession under your name.” He explained. Quietly, she nodded, taking the clipboard from him. He offered her his pen, the metal gimmering almost unsettlingly in the fluorescent light. She had taken that as well, just as cautiously. Though before he fully gave up on the pen, he got closer to her. “Don’t expect to make it out of her in one piece. We’re going to make you understand. One must take full responsibility for their actions.”_

_Her toes curled. Why was he this close? **She didn’t want him to be this close.** She wanted to kick, to scream, but she didn’t have the energy to. Even if she did, she knew that things would just get worse. _

_Finally, he let go of the pen, stepping away. Slowly, she raised the pen, gently writing at the end of the sheet._

_**Megumi Kurosawa.**_

_She held up the clipboard, handing it and the pen back to the man._

_Just outside the room, an older woman with silver hair had walked down the darkened hall, a clear determination in her stride._

_“Excuse me, this area’s off lim-” A police detective just outside the door had begun, before getting cut off by the woman herself._

_“I’m Niijima, from the Public Prosecutor's Office.” She had told him, keeping a professional air about her._

_“The Prosecutor’s Office? What business do you have here?”_

_“Just let me through; it’s urgent. There’s something I need to confirm with the suspect.”_

_“Ms. Niijima, I believe this case is no longer in your jurisdiction.” The detective had bit back. “Besides…” Before he could continue, the prosecutor’s phone had buzzed. She picked it up without hesitation, only to be greeted by a loud sigh._

_“I thought I ordered you to stand by.” It was her director. She turned around, not looking at the detective by the door._

_“I’m in charge of this case, yet I’m not even being allowed an interrogation?!” It would be clear to anyone that she was upset about it, yet nothing happened to diffuse it._

_“I’m calling because I knew you’d bring it up.”_

_Her grip on her cell phone tightened._

_“I will not be convinced unless I confirm it myself! This is MY case.”_

_Her director once again sighed in frustration._

_“Good luck to you, then. I won’t be expecting much, though.”_

_She hung up, preparing to go into the interrogation room, though once again, the detective piped up._

_“Ah, Prosecutor. I forgot to mention something important.” She peered over at his words. “Your time will be cut short. We can’t permit you to talk with her for long.”_

_She sighed. Of course._

_“It’s for your own sake. Her methods are unknown, after all. We don’t even know if it’s safe to even sit and talk with her.”_

_She nodded._

_“... I understand.”_

_Still, without any hesitation, she opened the door. The two men who were there prior ushered themselves out as the Prosecutor took a seat at one side of the table, watching as the young girl clambored to the other chair. She chewed her lip._

_“I didn’t expect it to be you…” Still, she regained her composure. “You’ll be answering my questions this time.” Though she couldn’t help but notice the glimmer of the syringe on the floor. “Those bastards…” Niijima looked back to the young girl who was simply fiddling with her fingers, almost looking shell-shocked at the situation. “Can you hear me? It seems as though you’ve been through a lot. Almost anything can happen in here, and I can’t do anything to stop them. That’s why I need you to answer me honestly, I don’t have much time here, either.”_

_She chewed on her thumbnail as Prosecutor Niijima began prodding with her questions. What was your objective, why did you cause such a major incident, and other such things._

_“I didn’t think it was a prank from the get-go, but I couldn’t assemble a case for prosecution. It’s because I couldn’t figure out the method behind it.”_

_“...Of course you couldn’t.” She mumbled out. The prosecutor crossed her arms and gently shut her eyes._

_“Well, I need to know. This is my case, after all. It seems you’re coherent now, so tell me. When and where did you find out about that world? How is it even possible to steal another’s heart? Now… Tell me your account of everything. Start from the very beginning.”_

_She kept a gentle grip on her head, trying to reach back, way back. How did this start anyway…?_

_Then she stopped, for just a moment. She heard something but where…?_

_The butterfly, that’s what it was._

_A translucent blue butterfly she had seen time and time again, but was sure almost no one else did. It had been a while, but in a way, she was relieved to see it. In a hushed voice, it spoke to her._

_****_

_**...You are held captive.** _ **  
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**_A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance._  
**

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**_This is truly an unjust game…_  
**

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**_Your chances of winning are almost none._  
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**_But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…_  
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**_...I beg you._  
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**_Please overcome this game… and save the world._  
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**_The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds -- the truth that you and your friends grasped._  
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**_It all began that day… when the game started half a year ago..._ **


	2. Chapter 1 - New Horizons

**4/9**

Megumi adjusted her glasses as the train continued to clatter along. She held her bag closer to herself, trying to get any semblance of something homey from it, though it was to no avail.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for riding with us today,” As the voice on the speaker began, Megumi glanced up to catch sight of the nearest one. “We’ll be arriving in Shibuya shortly. This is the last stop for this line. Please transfer here for all subway lines. The doors to your left will open.” 

Quietly, she stood up and grabbed onto one of the dangling handles above. Grimacing as a pit formed in her stomach, almost as a bitter reminder of why she was in Shibuya to begin with. 

The glare of the overhead streetlight, the innocent woman’s cries for help, the stench of a hopelessly drunk man, the thud on the pavement, the shouting, and above all else, the harsh grip of the very police officers she had called for help.

Without thinking, she ran her fingers across her bicep, practically feeling the strong fingertips that had dug into her flesh that short time ago. 

“What? Are you for real? A mental shutdown?” The chatter of two nearby girls dragged Megumi out of her trance, glancing over in curiosity. 

“It’s the truth!” The other retorted, a certain conviction in her words.

“To a person though?” Her friend asked, skepticism in her voice. “That’s gotta be a joke.” Still, she giggled, pointing to the phone in the formers hand. “You really love that occult stuff, don’t you?”

Mental Shutdowns…?

Odd.

After dismounting the train, Megumi made her way up into the station square. Her grip tightened on the strap of her bag as she slowly weaved through the crowds. This certainly was different from home… 

A beep from her phone drew her attention back to the device in her hands. Her brow creased as she looked at the screen.

“What on Earth…?” 

Casting on the screen was an app she was unfamiliar with. She knew she didn’t download it, so what was it? She stopped in her tracks and tapped on it, though it didn’t seem to open properly. Megumi sighed prepared to reboot her phone, but then she noticed something. Everything seemed to have stopped in its tracks. 

Even the birds overhead. 

The most striking thing of all, however, was nestled right in the center of the scramble.

Raging azure flames danced and licked away at the skies, though they soon formed together, making a coherent figure, standing tall and proud. Just as soon as it formed, it dissolved, and for the briefest of moments, Megumi could have sworn she saw herself in it. 

And just like that, the world was once again turning. 

Megumi looked back and forth. Was she just seeing things, or…?

Whatever, it didn’t matter. She was probably just tired from the train ride. That was what she told herself, anyway. She looked back at her phone screen, gently setting a finger on the offending app and dragging it to the trash. 

She still kept a tight grip on the straps of her bag as she dismounted yet another train. Yongen-Jaya, this was the place all right. Her steps were slow as she left the station, not wanting to miss the place she was staying- it probably didn’t help that her sense of direction wasn’t perfect to begin with but that on top of how out of touch she’d felt that day, it simply wasn’t a good mix.

Still, she didn’t know a lot about Yongen, but from what she could see, it felt rather homely from the get-go. She gave everyone who paid her any mind a gentle wave as she weaved her way through the area’s backstreets. Sojiro Sakura was the one she was in the care of, if she recalled correctly, but where on earth was…? 

Let’s see… A second hand shop… What looked to be a theater, that could be fun… Takemi Medical Clinic? At least something like that was local, same for the supermarket.

Emerging from the short alley where the clinic was nestled, Megumi sighed, holding her head in her hands. Was she really not even going a day without directional issues?

“Excuse me, Miss.” A gruff sounding voice had asked- no, not asked,- told her, and in response her head shot up, meeting the eyes of a rather menacing officer. Unconsciously, her grip tightened around the cuff of her sleeve. 

“Ah, yes, sir?” She had asked, voice just a touch shaky. The last thing she wanted right now was to cause trouble.

“Are you alright? You’ve been wandering around this area for a while now, you aren’t up to anything suspicious, are you?” Without thinking, her back straightened as she shook her head.

“No sir, I was just wondering where the residential area was.” 

The officer shook his head with a sigh, pointing over to the girl’s left. 

“Just down that way, take the first left and you’ll be there.” 

Offering a quick thanks, she continued on her way.

Don’t make waves.

In a way, it was almost fortuitous. The first house on the left had a small brass nameplate, the surname ‘Sakura’ embossed on its surface. She shuffled from heel to heel as she gently pressed on the doorbell, but received nothing in return. She chewed on her lip. Was he out, or perhaps was there another ‘Sakura’ living in the area…? What to do…

“Ah, looks like no one’s home…” 

Megumi glanced over her shoulder, noticing a delivery man with a parcel under his arm. It was clear he hadn’t noticed her, attention on other things.

“I suppose it makes sense, Sakura’s usually at his cafe around this time. Although, LeBlanc’s in the back alley, I’d probably be best off working on my other deliveries first…” 

Megumi had hesitated for a moment, though she supposed this wild goose chase would have to bring her something at some point. She was thankful, though. It wasn’t nearly as tricky to find LeBlanc. 

Slowly, she pushed open the door, the lingering scents of coffee and curry spices that danced out into the cold air calming her down considerably. It felt… homely. 

“A public transit bus was driven down an opposing lane with its customers still in it! The citizens can’t live in peace if this keeps up.”

...Oh Heavens. 

Megumi craned her neck over to catch sight of the TV mounted on the wall at the far back of the small cafe. Sure enough, a news report of an incident from just a day prior. Maybe it wasn’t in her best interest to stay here after all…? Though it wasn’t like she had much choice in the matter.

“How frightening.” 

Soon, she found her attention on an elderly couple in one of the establishment’s booth seats.

“What could be going on?” The man’s wife had asked, a clear concern on her face. “Didn’t something similar happen just the other day?” Her words made Megumi’s stomach twist. 

“Vertical is… the name of a shellfish used for farming pearls…” 

The manager of the place however, seemed to have minimal concern, simply focusing on a crossword, pen between his index and middle fingers flicking back and forth. Soon enough though, he caught sight of Megumi. His brow creased as he put the crossword on the countertop behind him.

“Right, they did say that was today, didn’t they?” 

She nodded, not even sure if she was supposed to reply. 

“We’ll be going now. The payment’s on the table.” The older man had said, both him and his wife getting up from their table, a small amount of coins left behind on the smooth surface.

“Thanks for coming.” The manager had said, only glancing at the couple for a moment before he looked back to the teenager in the doorway. Still, the couple continued to ‘joke’ on their way out of the shop.

“At least this place is in the back alley, there’s no worries of a car crashing in here.” The man had said, mostly to his wife but the manager picked up on it.

“A what?” 

“Oh? Haven’t you heard? There’s been an entire string of those rampage accidents. I just hope that none happen around here…” 

The manager shook his head, looking as unimpressed as ever.

“It’s none of my concern.” He had said curtly. The elderly man had laughed before bidding his farewell and leaving with his wife. Once the bell had chimed, signalling the door had shut, the manager sighed. “...Four hours for just a single cup of joe.” He looked away from the table that had been occupied for so long, back to the only other person in the shop. “So, you’re Megumi?” 

She nodded, straightening her posture without thinking about it.

“That’s right. Is Sakura-san here?” She had asked, shifting her weight from foot to foot. He had smiled at that- not a friendly one, but an entertained one.

“Yeah. I’m Sojiro Sakura. You’ll be in my custody over the next year.” His gaze flicked up and down over Megumi’s form. “I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but… You’re the one, huh?” She didn’t blame him for being confused, she would be too. She was, to a degree. “Have you been told? A customer of mine and your parents are good friends and-” She nodded along with his explanation, which he seemed to notice after long enough. “Well, not that it matters. Follow me.” He turned around and motioned for her to follow, bringing her up a rickety staircase to a large attic at the very top.

The attic was big, if cluttered, one on shelf large bags of coffee beans sat, while miscellaneous junk covered the entire left of the room, a desk in the back covered in old and worn magazines and folders. There was also a small worn bed in the corner opposite the desk, just as dusty as the rest of the room. In the center of it all was a large cardboard box- that she had recognized. 

“This is your room.” Sojiro had said curtly, sweeping over the place with his gaze. “Oh, I’ll at least give you sheets for the bed.” Again, she nodded, an action she was getting used to very quickly, as she stared into the distance. “You look like you want to say something.” He had told her, as if he was testing her.

“It’s just a lot bigger than I thought it would have been.” Megumi had told him, staying as polite as possible. She set her bag down on a table next to the stairs, resting her hands on her hips as she looked the room over again and again. “..Could be cozy though…” She mumbled, more to herself, though it’s not like Sojiro hearing would hurt her.

“It’s up to you to clean up the rest.” He had said, hand lingering on the back of his neck. “I’ll be leaving after I lock up each day.” Sojiro looked back toward Megumi as he spoke “You’ll be alone, but don’t do anything stupid; I’ll throw you out if you cause any trouble.”

“Okay.” She had replied, quickly and quietly. 

_Don’t make waves._

“Now then, I got the gist of your situation.” He had begun. Megumi still hadn’t moved from the top of the stairs, standing straight and tall like a tin soldier. “You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you. Right?” 

“Mmhmm.” 

“That’s what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults.” His expression was sour, not like he was scolding his own child for doing something wrong, more like scolding a puppy. “You did injure him, yeah?” 

“We-” 

Before she could even begin, Sojiro cut her off.

“And now that you’ve got a criminal record, you were expelled from your old high school.” She didn’t particularly mind that part. She didn’t have much attachment to her old school, much less friends she would miss. “The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents also approved. In other words, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass.” 

He looked so smug at those final words. She knew it wasn’t like that, her parents just didn’t have many other options…

“It’s best you not talk about anything unnecessary. I am in the restaurant business, you know. Behave yourself for the year. If nothing happens, your probation will be lifted.” 

“Yes sir.” As much as she wanted to say that that was her plan, she didn’t want to seem smug, especially after only being in the attic for two minutes. She knew her sentence would last until next spring, but she figured it’d be best to at least try and make the most of it.

“Just remember, cause any problems, and you’ll be going straight to juvie. We’ll be going to Shujin tomorrow.” 

“...Shujin…?” Megumi had mumbled, moreso to herself, but Sojiro still heard it. 

“Shujin Academy. The school you’ll be attending.” He had said so matter-of-factly, an underlying tone of exhaustion in his voice.. “We’ll introduce ourselves properly to the staff there. You’re lucky there’s a place that’ll accept someone like you, you know.” He sighed to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What a waste of my Sunday.”

Megumi stayed quiet. She wanted to apologize, but was sure she’d only get snark in return. 

“Your ‘luggage’ arrived a little while ago. I brought it up here for you.” Sojiro gestured to the large cardboard box in the middle of the room. Without another word, he went back downstairs to the cafe. 

A few moments after he left, Megumi finally broke out of her soldier stance, stretching out and looking at the box from home. She knew a lot of what she needed was in that box, clothes, three spare pairs of glasses and a few other odds and ends. 

She ended up opening the box with a mechanical pencil in her bag. She didn’t want to bother Sojiro by asking for a knife or scissors. No matter the impracticality, it got the job done. Taking the opportunity, she changed into some more comfortable clothes- a grey turtleneck sweater which happened to be her favourite shirt she owned, and a simple pair of black pants. 

Megumi looked around. Cleaning this place would probably be a good start…

It was nothing too complicated, just a bit of dusting here, a bit of mopping there, putting fresh sheets on the bed, piling a couple trash bags on the table with her school bag and tucking away all the loose magazines underneath the table. She didn’t throw them out in case they held any importance to Sojiro.

It was just as she was pushing the cardboard box with her belongings into a low shelf when Sojiro had come back upstairs. 

“What the heck? I heard you making all sorts of noise up here, but I didn’t think you’d be cleaning.” He had said almost as soon as he came up the stairs, looking around the room. Megumi had opened her mouth to apologize- what for, she didn’t actually know, but Sojiro had interrupted her before she could even speak. “Actually, the place doesn’t look too bad. Though it’s only natural you’d want to keep your room tidy.” 

That was the first time she even tried to smile in days. Even if it was rather backhanded, she would take the praise regardless. She stood up straight, but before she said anything in reply, she yawned. What time was it, anyway…?

“Why don’t you go to bed for tonight?” He had suggested. “You don’t have anything better to be doing, right?” Sleepily, Megumi nodded, getting a nod from Sojiro in reply. “I’m going to close up shop and get out of here myself. Just remember that I’m not the one who’ll be taking care of you if you get sick from staying up too long, got that?” 

“Mhmm…”

Megumi had changed into her soft, creamsicle-coloured pajamas, and looked around the attic once more. She debated doing more work with the cleaning, but she really didn’t feel up to it, practically ready to pass out as soon as she hit the sheets. 

As tired as she was though, she couldn’t sleep. She kept thinking about everything that led up to now. Arrest, then trial, and now a criminal record and probation. What else was she supposed to do though? 

_One thing had led to another and she ended up getting home late, she remembered worrying as she checked her watch. She knew her mother would be worried sick about her, but here she was, lightly jogging through the neighbourhood, but slowly her steps became uncertain._

_“Just get in the car!”_

_She stopped in her tracks completely. Gently, she chewed on her thumbnail. The yelling was coming from her left, but that was the opposite way of home. She was late enough already… Maybe it would just be a second? Megumi found herself trying to rationalize things as her steps guided her toward the voice. Maybe it was just someone trying to coax their pet into their car. At… 8pm. Though she soon found it was hopeless to be optimistic, as she soon picked up on a younger woman’s voice alongside it._

_“N-no! Let go!”_

_“You dare cross me?!”_

_Again, Megumi stopped. She could see what was happening now. She could see under the glare of the streetlight the silhouette of a man forcing himself on a younger woman, and she could see her struggling rather noticeably. Could she even do something about that? Quietly, she took out her phone and dialed for the police, voice barely above a whisper. She was a bit relieved to hear that the police were on their way- what a mistake that would turn out to be._

_“No…!”_

_“Don’t give me that shit.”_

_“Ow! P-Please, stop…!”_

_Letting out a sharp breath, she moved forward, her legs carrying her without a second thought. It didn’t matter if she could or couldn’t stop it, she just needed to try. As Megumi approached, she began catching the heavy scent of alcohol looming in the air. If anything, it made her stomach twist more._

_“Tch… What a waste of my time. You think you’re worth causing me trouble? Huh?” The drunken man continued, not letting up._

_“I’ll call the police!” The woman had squeaked out. Her nails gripped onto his arm as she desperately tried to pry him off._

_“The police are my bitches.” He had growled out. “They’re not gonna take you seriously.” The look of fear on her face only increased at his words. Only moments later the sound of police sirens pierced through the tense atmosphere. The man’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration and anger. “Someone called the cops, huh?” Both his scowl and his grip on the woman tightened. “Get in the car!” He had yelled. “Incompetent fools like you just need to shut your mouths and follow where I steer this country!”_

_Megumi felt her blood freeze as the man finally noticed she was there, his gaze staring daggers at her from behind his orange tinted sunglasses._

_“...What’re you looking at?” He snapped out. “Get outta my face!” She took one step back, gripping onto the strap of her bag. “This ain’t a show. Get lost, kid.” His hand slid off the woman’s body as he began fronting on the high-schooler. Before he got closer, he sneered at the woman again. “See? This is all because you’re so damn slow! Get in the car!” He ordered._

Megumi sighed and shook her head. There was no use even thinking about it now. It was far too late to think about anymore. Just as she felt herself begin to drift, her phone had played it’s little note, trying to grab her attention, which it had. She nabbed it from the floor, and whatever it had tried to notify her on had been pushed to the wayside as she noticed the strange app from just that morning. Her index finger loomed over it, puzzled. Did she not delete it? She thought she did, but she supposed it was entirely possible she didn’t. She was quite frazzled after all. Without another thought, she dragged it off to the recycling bin and placed her phone back on the floor. 

Her eyelids were getting heavy and her consciousness began to drift. She’d be scoping out her new school tomorrow, so maybe this would be her lucky break in disguise. Potential friends, potential experiences… She was optimistic, but she’d have to see the hand fate felt like giving her. 

Megumi wasn’t sure when she had awoke, but nothing about it felt right. Sure her bed wouldn’t be called luxurious, but it wasn’t this uncomfortable… 

The rattling of a chain made her shoot up to sitting, though that only made her notice the chain on herself, going from one wrist to the other with a little bit of give, cuffs linking them to one another. She swung her legs over the side of her ‘bed’ and clutched her head. Sure she could excuse it as a dream, but her wrists certainly did hurt. A chuckle dragged her attention to just outside her new cell. 

Just outside she could see two girls, awfully young looking ones at that. They weren’t identical- she didn’t think so anyway, but they shuffled closer together in sync, as if they were moving in a mirror. As Megumi approached, she only found herself stuck at a point, only to look down and pin the cause as a ball and chain. Now what in the world was this…? Megumi only stared at the two girls, hands resting and gaining a loose grip on the bars in front of her, loose striped sleeves sliding down her forearms. 

The girls stared back, their uncovered eyes unmoving, though the both turned away, no longer blocking Megumi’s view of the long nosed man in the center of the room. He had offered a hand that she could never grab, and announced in a low, booming voice.

“Trickster… Welcome to my Velvet Room.” 

“So, you’ve come to, Inmate?” One of the girls had asked, glancing at Megumi from the corner of her eye. 

“The you in reality is currently fast asleep.” The other had continued, her voice just a bit softer than her cohort. “You are only experiencing this as a dream.” She clarified. 

“You’re in the presence of our master. Stand up straight!” Without hesitation, she did. She could swear she saw the tiniest grin pop up on the younger girl’s face, but said nothing.

“Welcome.” The man in the center had started, the two girls at either side of you falling quiet. “I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter.” He continued. Megumi’s grip only tightened on the bars. “It is a room that only those who are bound by a ‘contract’ may enter. I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well.” Igor continued to drum his fingers, which were just a touch too long on his desk. Megumi told herself that she probably wouldn’t forget this even if she tried. “I summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well.” She furrowed her brow, not wanting to make waves.

“Important matters?” She asked. It was just a dream, that's what she told herself anyway. Just a strange, strange dream. It probably wasn’t that important overall, but there was no reason not to play along. Igor only nodded along at her words.

“Still, it is strange…” He looked around, as if searching for something. She glanced around too, unsure of what the problem was, besides the obvious. “The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such…” His gaze returned to her. “You truly are a ‘prisoner’ of fate.” Igor pointed at her, index finger only drifting around; lingering. “In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you.” 

“Ruin…?” She repeated, concern growing on her face. Igor simply chuckled.

“Worry not. There is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be ‘rehabilitated’. Rehabilitated toward freedom… _That_ is your only means to avoid ruin.” He stared at her again, eyes boring deep into her. “Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?”

Megumi stayed silent, though considering Igor’s inclination of doing the same, she realized he was looking for a reply. 

“Well, I’d like to avoid ruin…” To this, he grinned even wider than he already was. 

“Then allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation.” As he finished his words, the two girls turned on their heels to face her once more. “Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine.” Her gaze travelled as he said each direction. “They serve as wardens here.” 

“Hmph,” Caroline huffed out. “Try and struggle as hard as you like.” 

“The duty of wardens is to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators.” She couldn’t tell if Justine was trying to calm her. The words seemed sincere but her tone and demeanor was of ice. “...That is, if you remain obedient.” Megumi decided her uncertainty was best left where it was. 

“I shall explain the roles of these two at another occasion.” Again, as Igor finished speaking, the wardens turned on their heels in perfect sync to face their master. “Now then, it seems the night is waning… It is almost time.” Almost time for…? “Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. Surely, we will meet again, eventually…” At the flick of his wrist, sirens began blaring in the small prison. Caroline snapped her attention to Megumi. 

“Now hurry up and go back to sleep.” 

Megumi was confused, but soon enough found her consciousness fading yet again.


	3. Chapter 2 - And So Ryuji Met Her

**4/10**

Megumi ruminated with her thoughts as she adjusted her blazer. She couldn’t stop thinking of her dream from the passing night. While, yes, she had been known to have strange dreams, who wouldn’t? Something about it just seemed so odd, and yet so real. She rubbed her thumb on her wrist, as if she could still feel the heavy chains upon it.

“Ruin… Rehabilitation?” She mumbled to herself, voice still croaky from her sleep. She sighed. After thinking about it long enough, she decided she’d probably be best of just not thinking about it. Sure, dreams have meaning, but just as often they’re nothing more than strange. 

“Looks like you’re up.” Megumi looked over at the source of the sound, only to find Sojiro standing by the stairs. “Well then, let’s go introduce ourselves properly to the staff about your transfer.”

“Okay.”

“The school you’re attending is in the Aoyama district. It’ll take a while to get there by train, and the transfers are a real hassle, too.” She did her best to hold in her groans. She wasn’t great at navigating the trains here to start, but if it’s that cumbersome just to get to the school… Well, really she had no choice to accept it. “I’ll drive you there, but just for today. Let’s go.” He said as he turned around, motioning her to follow, which she did with little hesitation, grabbing her bag on the way down. “Women your age usually aren’t allowed in my passenger seat, though…” 

Megumi didn’t know if Sojiro meant for her to hear or not, but she heard regardless. 

The car ride wasn’t exactly long, just over fifteen minutes, but the silence during it was deafening. Megumi wasn’t sure if it was in her best interest to start a conversation, so she simply fidgeted with the needle felted cat charm on her bag. The facial features on it were just a little bit skewed, but she still liked it. 

When the car stopped and both of them had exited, Megumi only followed Sojiro, simply keeping to herself. She was supposed to keep on good behaviour, but she still didn’t really know what the older man had considered bad and good. However, she did find herself rather enamored with the large building they passed. It had to have been the school, she could only guess. It was a lot bigger than the one she had spent her first year in back at home. As they approached the gates, Sojiro abruptly stopped, turning to the younger girl.

“Do me a favor and behave yourself, all right?” He had asked, expression already exasperated. “Don’t get me wrong- I don’t care what happens to you. Just don’t cause me any trouble.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

He sighed. At least she had seemed to be good at listening so far, but who knew how long that would last.

Sojiro led her through the halls of Shujin academy, and it had looked even better on the inside. In a way, she actually seemed more chipper after stepping foot in the building, like she could ignore why she was here and just pretend there was a normal explanation for it. Checking in with the Principal seemed to dash that idea, however.

“To reiterate, just so we’re clear,” He began. Principal Kobayakawa was a far different beast from what Megumi was used to. Intimidating, that was a word for it. “You will immediately be expelled if you cause any problems. In my opinion, you’re nothing more than a liability, but we had our circumstances to consider…” ...Well, the weight he was holding over her certainly didn’t quell her anxieties. “Whatever you might’ve gotten away with in your hometown… those days are over. If you are thrown out from our school, there will be no place for you to go. Keep that in mind.” Then, he gestured to the tired looking, younger woman next to him. “This is the teacher in charge of your class.”

“I’m Sadayo Kawakami.” She was curt with her words, not taking too much time to say her piece. “Here- Your student ID.” Kawakami set down the card, alongside it a folded piece of pink paper Megumi couldn’t quite get a good look at before it was snatched up by the teacher. Her gazed flicked between the card and the older woman before she took the card, looking it up and down before tucking it in her blazer pocket. “Be sure to read the school rules. Any violations will send you straight to the guidance office. If by chance you cause any problems, I won’t be able to protect you at all.” She looked to the larger man who still remained seated. “...That _is_ your promise, yes, Principal Kobayakawa?” 

“She is responsible for all her actions.” The principal nodded as he spoke. Megumi felt a knot tie in her stomach. She was sure she wouldn’t do something bad- not on purpose, anyway- so she shouldn’t have been feeling this anxious about all of this, right?

“But really though, why me? There should’ve been better candidates.” Oh. Perhaps that was it. The looming feeling of not being wanted; being seen as little more than a pest. That was probably the source of the feeling.

“It was a sudden transfer,” Kobayakawa had reassured her. “Your class was the only one that had an opening.” Not wanting to get caught up in aimless banter between the two staff members, Sojiro spoke his piece.

“If you’re done explaining things, mind if we get going? I got a store to get back to.” However, Kobayakawa then looked him dead in the eye, the tension in the room becoming so thick you could cut it with a knife. 

“Sakura-san, keep an eye on her. Don’t let her cause any trouble outside…” Sojiro only shook it off, clearly not caring to worry about it in the present time.

“Well, I’ll be sure to have a serious talk about the situation she’s in.” She chewed her lip. She kinda already knew the situation she was dealing with, but were there more stipulations to the thin ice she was already walking on?

“Come to the faculty office when you arrive at school tomorrow. I’ll show you to your classroom.” Kawakami had told her, tone almost gentler than she was used to. Not that she had many gentle tones to go off of. 

“Alright.” 

The conversation had tapered off at that. Eventually Megumi had returned to following Sojiro as the duo had left the room and made their way out of the school, though the older man stopped just before they left from the entrance hall. 

“Everyone’s giving you the cold shoulder. That’s what having a criminal record does to you. Turns out your past follows you wherever you go.” Another twist formed in Megumi’s stomach. Maybe he was right. Maybe it would be better if she stopped trying. She wouldn’t make waves, she could go home without problem. “By the way… if you get expelled now, I won’t hesitate to kick you out. Got it?” 

“Yes sir. I’ll be careful.” Yeah, maybe that would be better for her. Sojiro only nodded, though his gaze drifted around the entrance hall after not too long. He let out a sigh, though not necessarily out of frustration. 

“School never changes, huh?” He shook his head, motioning Megumi along. “Come on, we’re going home.” The teenager nodded and trailed behind him, returning to the car. 

Megumi has nestled herself in the corner of the car, cradled between the door and seat. She absentmindedly flicked through her phone, eventually coming to her contacts. While she was frustrated with the fact that her parent’s numbers were the only thing there; besides a couple classmates she’d called close friends who weren’t talking to her anymore, she had mentally reminded herself to call her mother later in the day, she was probably wondering how she was doing.

She hoped she was, anyway.

After a decent chunk of time passed, she looked up, a puzzled expression on her face. The car ride wasn’t this long the first time, was it? Sojiro, noticing her mild confusion, spoke up.

“Traffic’s not moving at all…” He grumbled out, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. “You’re taking the train starting tomorrow.” She nodded, expecting that. There was another beat of silence before the older man spoke again. “...So how was it? The school, I mean. You think you can manage?” 

“I think so?” She mumbled. “It could be fun, maybe, but I guess we’ll see?” 

Sojiro stayed quiet, though he did nod, indicating that he heard her. 

“Still, you were expelled once already. To think you’d re-enroll at a different one.” His eyes were still trained on the road, not looking her way. “It’s not like anyone will be sympathetic with you.”

Another beat of silence.

“...If that’s what it was like at school, people might say stuff about me in the future too.” His gaze tore itself off the road, looking over at the rear view mirror. “What a troublesome kid I’ve taken in…” 

Megumi’s brow scrunched. He wasn’t trying to keep his voice down- wasn’t trying to keep her from hearing. Without any thought, the only thing on her mind passed her lips.

“Why did you take me in, then?” 

“I was _asked_ to do it, and I just… happened to agree to it.” The way he said it didn’t sit right with her, like he was trying to rush out any reply that made sense. “I’ve already been paid for it, too, after all.” He tacked on to the end, clarifying. As if trying to avoid whatever further prying the teenager would have, he turned up the radio just a couple notches, tuning in the news. 

“...And now back to today’s top stories. A subway train has derailed, severely affecting the timetable across all of-”

“Another accident?” Sojiro had said in shock. There was mention of one of those yesterday, wasn’t there? “So that’s why it’s so crowded.” He muttered to himself as he looked around the streets. “There’s been a lot of those lately.” He looked back to Megumi, finally directly talking to her again. “In fact, there was a real sad one just last month. If I remember right, the girl that passed away was only fifteen. Her parents have gotta be just…” He shook his head, returning his focus to the radio. 

“...All traffic around Shibuya Station is being redirected due to the accident, so drivers should expect jam-packed streets.”

“Oh, come on!” 

The rest of the car ride was rather tepid. At most, Megumi only responded to any brief conversation Sojiro started, though none were long lived. Most of her time was spent fiddling with her bag, her focus boiling down to a single stray thread. She had to cut that when she got back- making a small note of it on her wrist. 

It had gotten rather late when Megumi had followed Sojiro back into LeBlanc, the older man obviously frustrated with the situation.

“Damn, to think there’d be that much traffic… What a waste of time. I wasn’t able to open the cafe today…” 

Megumi lightly chewed on the inside of her cheek, an apology caught in her throat. Was this something to apologize for? Perhaps, but she couldn’t control the trains… But if she just took the train in the first place… but then she could’ve been caught up in the accident…

“Sorry.” She mumbled out. Sojiro only shook his head.

“Whatever. Just head upstairs. There’s something I need to give you.” She nodded, walking past the older man and into her room. He had followed, the illuminated screen of his phone reflecting on his glasses. 

“Talk about a gruesome accident… Eighty people were involved.” He had brushed it off for the moment, noticing the unease the younger girl was clearly displaying. Changing the subject, he tucked away his phone and brought out a pocketbook. “Here’s a diary. Make sure you keep it up to date.” Halfheartedly, he tossed it onto the table next to the stairs. “You may be under probation, but there’s no special limitations on what you do in particular; besides following the law, that is. However, I’m obligated to report on you, which is why I’m having you record your daily activities.”

“Okay.” Megumi had said as she approached the table, voice finally a bit more audible than Sojiro had been used to. “I’ll do my best to-” 

Though there wasn’t much she could say before Sojiro’s ringtone chimed throughout the attic. He held up a hand, silently telling her to just wait a moment as he answered the call.

“Hey, what’s up?” His tone was more casual then she was used to. A moment of silence lingered before he replied again. “...I’m about to leave right now.” A shorter pause. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there in no time. Uh-huh. I’ll see you soon.” He hung up and tucked away his phone. As he was preparing to leave, Sojiro took a glance back to Megumi. “Well, I’m off. I’ll lock the place up, so do whatever you want for the rest of the night.” He took the first step down the stairs, but snapped his gaze back to the girl almost immediately. “Oh, but don’t mess up my store. If something goes missing, I’ll hand you right over to the cops.” 

“Alright- I promise I won’t.” 

“Don’t forget you got school tomorrow… You better head off to bed, all right?” He called from the bottom of the stairs. He waited only a moment for Megumi to reply, getting a nod in return. 

After she heard the chime of the cafe’s bell, she had let out a long breath she had no idea she was holding in. Things would get less scary- she knew they would. Picking up the pocketbook she searched around her bag for a pen before a different phone ringing echoed throughout LeBlanc. Curiously, she wandered downstairs, the yellow phone by the door quickly being pegged as the culprit. Her hand lingered over the receiver for a moment though she decided there wouldn’t be any real harm in picking it up. 

“Hello?” 

“Hey, it’s me.” 

“...Sakura-san?” It came off as more of a question than she intended.

“Of course. You haven’t forgotten my voice already, have you?” She lightly chewed on her cheek. “Anyway… I closed up shop but I forgot to flip the sign to “Closed” when I left.” She looked over to the door, seeing the sign in question. “It’s too much trouble for me to come back just for that. Think you can do it for me?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” 

_**Don’t make waves.** _

“Good. I’m sure there’s a lot on your mind, but at least you seem to have the common sense of listening to the owner of the roof you're under. Anyway, I’ll leave the shop sign to you.” 

“Alright, have a good night.” 

Megumi waited until the dial tone sounded out in her ear, telling her that there wasn’t anything else he needed. With a little sigh passing her lips, she set the receiver back on the hook. Hesitantly, she unlocked the cafe’s front door and opened it, only a little bit. She snaked her arm out of the door, flipping the sign over with her index and middle finger. Perhaps just a bit faster than she should have, as soon as the sign had flipped, she retracted her arm back to her side and shut the door, locking it as soon as it shut.

Megumi leaned against the counter next to the phone, stewing herself with her thoughts. After long enough, she just shook her head. Sojiro was right, she did have a lot on her mind at the moment. Perhaps calling her mother could wait until tomorrow. She undid her braid on her way upstairs and scrawled down the days’ events in her new pocketbook, before resigning herself to the bed.

Just as she was about to put her phone down for the night, Megumi squinted as her eyes focused on it’s still-illuminated screen. She couldn’t quite tell what it was, but the red blur she could see told her enough. Perching her glasses back upon the bridge of her nose only confirmed it. That odd app was back yet again. It was odd, she was almost positive she had deleted it the night prior, but perhaps she only convinced herself of it in her exhaustion.

She shook her head, resting her index finger on the app and dragging it off to the recycling bin once again. For a moment, she drummed the fingers of her free hand on her abdomen, lost in thought, before she held down her cell phone’s power button, the small device flicking off and rebooting. In a worst case scenario, she’d have to just take it in to get looked at by a professional. She slid her glasses off and fell back on her pillow with an audible ‘thwump’. 

There was a lot to digest over the past few days, but she had been quietly hoping that going to school would help things mellow out. Get herself back on track- back in control. Maybe even make some new friends.

Though having that criminal record stapled to her probably wasn’t helping matters. 

She just decided to try not to think about it. Just getting to sleep and waking up was the important part. Cradling herself against the wall, she found herself drifting off to sleep before she knew what hit her.

****

**4/11**

Megumi stretched out after doing up her blazer, more optimistic than she’d been in since she’d come to Shibuya. Today was her day to turn things around for herself. A hum played on her lips as she slipped on her loafers, though soon that mood was diminished when she remembered the trains.

She knew she had looked over the directions the night before, and even if she managed to not get lost, there was the looming threat of another train accident. A sigh passed her lips. What else was she supposed to do though…? The bed let out a creek as she stood up. Best to just leave now than risk being late. Her steps were quick as she grabbed onto her bag on the way down stairs, steps slowing to a crawl as she passed Sojiro, a plate of curry and glass of water on the counter in front of him. 

“So, you’re actually going to school, huh?” 

“Yeah, that was my hope, anyway.” 

Sojiro gave a shallow nod, motioning to the seat in front of him.

“I’ll feed you, just make sure you finish before the customers start coming in.” 

Megumi stared at the plate for a moment, glancing at her phone, before she took a seat, beginning to quietly eat the warm curry in front of her. Sojiro could only watch with mild amusement as the teenager took in a spoonful, her features lighting up with surprise and delight. Her feet swayed back and forth until she had finished, the older man carrying away the dishes to the sink in the back. 

“It’s time for you to go.” He had said, returning to the front and leaning on the counter. Megumi nodded, picking her bag back up. 

“Thank you for the meal, Sakura-san. It was delicious.” 

“Heh. Looks like you really have manners, after all.” He glanced over at the clock before looking back at the younger girl. “...Hurry over to school. You’ll end up late if you get lost on the way.” She nodded, opening the door. “Oh, and flip the sign to “Open” for me.” 

“Got it.” 

“Don’t forget.” He seemed to brush it off afterward, though. “Anyway, hurry up and get out of here. You’re gonna be late if you get lost, country girl.” 

She gave a final wave as she swiftly left LeBlanc, flipping over the sign before she broke into a light jog down to the train station. Megumi brought out her phone to double check her directions, catching the first train she could. 

Inside the train, she held her bag close to herself. It was far more crowded than she was used to, feeling people press against her from all angles was odd. Sure, she had heard about Tokyo’s subways, but she never realized that the rumours were true. 

Slowly, she creeped off the train as it screeched to a halt, feeling as if she could breathe again. 

Megumi was hesitant as she roamed around the station. Finding the Ginza line to transfer down to Aoyama proved to be more of a challenge than she was anticipating, but somehow she had made it, after more blind roaming than she’d like to admit, all to get into another borderline suffocating train ride. 

Disembarking on the second train filled her with a feeling of tranquility, if only because of the fact that she made it to Aoyama with zero total train crashes. That had to count for something, after all. Leaving the station, however, presented a completely different problem, which turned out to be the weather. She dashed out into the rain, much like many other students around her- though, many of those around her had the foresight to carry umbrellas with them, forcing Megumi to take shelter underneath a local shop’s overhang. 

Carefully, she shuffled her weight from toe to toe, not knowing what to do. She wasn’t entirely sure where Shujin was from here, and it wasn’t like she could wander around like she did the train station. Her lips pressed into a fine line as she mulled over her thoughts, brow furrowing as she noticed that blasted app on her phone once more. While her touch had lingered on it to delete once more, that train had ended up crashing as she noticed another student join her underneath the cover. 

The other student had brushed a small bit of water build up off her sleeves before gripping the edge of her white hood and pulling it back. Two pigtails spilled out from the fabric, and Megumi couldn’t help but find herself entranced by her sheltermate, the pale blonde colour of her hair being the main thing that grabbed the shorter girl’s attention. As she stared, she soon found a pair of soft blue eyes staring back at her. Hesitantly, Megumi brought up a hand to give a small wave, though the attention of both girls were taken from each other as a car pulled up in front of both of them. 

The window closest to the sidewalk slowly descended as an older man poked his head through. 

“Good morning. You want me to give you a ride to school? You’re gonna be late.” 

The black haired girl looked back at the blonde. It was clear to her that she herself wasn’t the subject of the conversation.

“Uhm.” The taller girl paused for a moment, but only for a moment. “Sure. Thank you.” She stepped forward and opened the front door, sliding into the passenger seat. Soon enough, however, the man had also directed his attention to Megumi.

“Do you need a lift, too?” 

Megumi thought about the offer. A ride would be nice, yes, but at the same time, she didn’t want to cause trouble…

“No. Thank you for the offer, though.” She had said, offering another small wave in case her voice was too soft to hear. 

She didn’t get a reply in return. The man simply slid the window back up, though that didn’t stop Megumi from noticing the rather melancholic look on the other girl’s features. 

...Well, not like it was her business, anyway. 

Before she even had the chance to stew her mind for a way to find Shujin, another student dashed up to her position, just after the car. 

“Dammit…” He had muttered out, just barely outside of the cover. “Screw that pervy teacher.” 

“Pervy teacher…?” Megumi mumbled, voice just above a whisper.

Though as soon as those words passed her lips, she found herself trying to swallow an invisible lump in her throat. The other student had now turned to face her, and it was then she realized he was most definitely someone she did not want to tangle with, just judging by his hair alone. 

While the girl she had seen earlier had a nice, pleasant blonde, as gaudy as most may find it, this was nothing but bleached to its current colour. Not to mention his stance and attire… 

So her punishment for not being in a train accident was to be pummeled by a school delinquent on her first day?

Hmm… 

Such is fate.

The sinking feeling in her stomach only worsened as he fronted on her, easily towering over her rather petite figure. 

“What do you want? You plannin’ of rattin’ me out to Kamoshida?” 

Without a second though, she shook her head, holding her phone close to her chest.

“No, I…” She trailed off, not making eye contact. “I… Don’t even know who Kamoshida is.” 

And playing much against her expectations, he seemed a bit caught off guard. 

“Huh? In that car now,” He gestured down the road, where the car had long disappeared, with a jab of his thumb. “It was Kamoshida.” He looked off to the street, annoyance clearly plastered all over his features. Megumi glanced back up at him, form tightly together. “He does whatever the hell he wants. Who does he think he is- the king of a castle?” Suddenly he snapped his focus back to the shorter girl. “Don’t you agree?” 

“Um,” She paused, brining a hand to her chin. “I don’t know, he didn’t seem that bad…” 

The boy blinked in confusion. His brown eyes flicked up and down, as if finally actually sizing her up. 

“...Wait, do you actually not know Kamoshida?” He crossed his arms. “Are you for real?” His demeanor softened, if only a little. “You’re from Shujin, right?” 

“You go to Shujin, too?” 

The enthusiasm in her voice caught the blonde off guard. 

“Uh… Yeah? No other high school’s got a uniform like this.” He slowly grabbed on to her hand and moved it to the side, revealing the little pin upon her blazer lapel. Megumi’s breath had hitched in her throat until his hand dropped back to his side, tucked away into his pocket. “A second-year, huh… We’re in the same grade then. Never seen you before though…” However, his eyes soon lit up in realization. “Oh, are you a transfer?” 

Sheepishly, she nodded.

“Yeah, I just came to town on saturday.” 

“Then no wonder you don’t know him.” He held his hand out from just outside the overhand, a few droplets of rain piling into his hand. “This rain ain’t too bad. We better hurry up, or we’ll be late.” Just as he had turned to leave, he stopped, suddenly holding his head. It was an action Megumi had repeated almost instantly. “Uuugh, my head hurts…” He muttered out, voicing what was on both their minds. “Dammit… I wanna go home…” 

Without another word, he trudged out from underneath the overhang, Megumi tentatively trailing behind. 

_“...There was a terrible subway accident that day. You remember it, don’t you?” Megumi nodded at the prosecutor’s words. “I assume you know of the uproar that the public calls the ‘psychotic breakdown incidents.’”_

_“What does that mean…?” She had asked, voice cracky. The prosecutor only sighed in return._

_“It was all over the news, and one of the victims included a teacher at your high school.” She leaned over the table, hands tightly balled into fists. “I’ve no doubt you heard about it.” Megumi had a hard time meeting her gaze, only staring at her hands. “On that day… were you still an “ordinary” student?” Being met with only the silence of a scared teenage girl, she pulled back. “Let me change the question. You transferred to Shujin Academy, correct?”_

_After a moment, she nodded._

_“An ordinary prep school that could be found in any city…” Sae’s grip tightened around her sleeve. “That’s what it should’ve been. What happened around that time? Tell me everything- truthfully.”_

Megumi continued following her fellow student as he led her- presumably to school. She hoped, anyway. A tiny splash accompanied her steps as she walked through the occasional puddle. Her heart began beating faster as she followed him into a segregated area of the district- just an alleyway- though she found herself calming down if only a little by how he just continued on his way. 

Just before she could leave the alley, she had stopped for a moment, turning around, but she saw nothing but the exact same alley she was in seconds ago. She furrowed her brow. She could’ve sworn something felt odd… 

Perhaps not…

“Wha-?!” Megumi’s attention snapped to the end of the alley, her steps hurrying to the source of the noise, though, as she came to the other student’s side, her steps slowed as she was greeted with the sight of a tall, looming medieval castle. The blond looked back to the alley, confusion on his features. “We didn’t… come the wrong way through…” He looked back to the castle. “Yeah, this should be right… What’s going on here?” He and Megumi soon locked eyes. “I guess we’ll just have to go and ask.” 

Side by side they approached the large drawbridge, it’s wooden surface slick and wet from the rain.

The building interior was mildly humid, the dampness of the rain not quite yet leaving the air. Though, it was exactly what one could expect to see of a castle, candles upon the walls and pillars, slowly dripping wax below, about half a dozen gaudy chandeliers, reflective crystals dangling off them, and red carpets down each and every winding hallway. 

The blonde trudged onward, posture slumping as he stopped in the center of the large foyer. Nervously, he scratched along his jaw.

“Th-That’s weird… Where’s the school?”

“Did we maybe make a wrong turn?” Megumi asked, lingering behind him. 

“N-No!” He turned to her. “This has to be it!” The shock on his face softened as he rustled through his pocket. “I mean, it… should be…” His eyebrows furrowed as he focused on the screen of his phone. “Out of service? Where’d we end up? The sign was for the school, right?” 

“I believe it was but-”

“Right?! You saw it too!”

The pair were cut off from whichever direction their conversation was going to go by a hulking figure in armor stepping out to the foyer, looming far taller than either of them. 

“Geez, you freaked me out… Who’re you? You a student?” Lacking both hesitation and forethought, the blonde approached the armored figure. “Man, your costume’s impressive… Is that armor real?” After a beat of silence, he crossed his arms, patience dwindling. “C’mon, don’t just stand there. Say somethin’.. Though as those words passed his lips, another figure, nigh identical to the first approached as well. 

“Are they school staff?” Megumi whispered to him, though she already knew the answer.

“I don’t know!” He glanced the armor up and down before taking a step back. “...This shit’s real.” Slowly one of the figures began closing the gap. “C-Calm down! Time out, man!” Taking another few steps back, he locked eyes with Megumi. “We gotta run!”

“Got it!” She squeaked out. 

“If you’ve ‘got it’, then move!” 

Leading the charge, the blond made a break for the door they had entered from, the black haired girl right behind him. They didn’t get far before more identical figures rushed out, blocking the exit, causing him to screech to a halt, Megumi bumping into his back. 

“Ugh, what’s with these guys?!” 

Lacking their sluggish demeanor from earlier, one of the armored figures bashed the student with their shield, bringing him down to the floor with a pained groan. 

“Y-You’re gonna break my bones, dammit! The hell you think you’re- aagh!” Before he could finish his thought, all of the guards closed in around them. Megumi herself was completely paralyzed, not knowing what to do until her skull was met with a harsh clang from another shield, sending her to the ground and forcing her to drift to unconsciousness.


End file.
